SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The bracket for the 2011 Southern Conference Softball Championship presented by Carolina Ford Dealers has been finalized, and tournament action will get underway Wednesday morning at Eagle Field at the Softball Complex in Statesboro, Ga., the league office announced Monday.
The 18th annual SoCon Championship is set to start Wednesday at 10 a.m., with No. 8 Furman (17-33, 9-15 SoCon) taking on No. 9 Western Carolina (18-34, 3-21 SoCon) in a single elimination contest with the winner facing the 2011 regular season champion and No. 1-seeded Chattanooga (38-12, 20-3 SoCon) at approximately 2 p.m. that afternoon. No. 4 College of Charleston (33-19, 12-11 SoCon) squares off with No. 5 Elon (29-22, 12-12 SoCon) at noon in game two.
The nightcap on the opening day will start at 5 p.m. as No. 2 Appalachian State (24-22, 15-7 SoCon) matches up against No. 7 Samford (13-38, 9-15 SoCon), followed by No. 3-seeded host Georgia Southern (28-27, 16-8 SoCon) taking on No. 6 UNCG (24-30, 10-14 SoCon) which is scheduled for 7 p.m.
After the opening single-elimination game, the rest of the championship is a double-elimination tournament. All game times are Eastern Standard and subject to change. The winner of the Softball Championship will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA regional softball tournament.
The Lady Mocs finished the regular season 38-12 with a 20-3 mark in league play, claiming its fifth straight regular season title and 13th overall. The 20 conference wins are the most by any team in SoCon history. Chattanooga is looking for its 11th championship.
Defending tournament champion Elon finished the regular season 26-22 overall and 9-12 in conference play. The Phoenix will face the Cougars in its first game, a team that Elon took two of three from earlier in the year in Charleston, S.C.
Tickets will be available for purchase on site. All-session adult passes will be available for $30 while all-session youth passes (pre-kindergarten) will cost $15. Single session passes will also be available for purchase and will cost $5 for adults and $3 for youths. Groups of 10 or more will be available for $2 a person. No credit cards will be accepted. Only cash and checks made payable to "Southern Conference" will be taken at the gate. Students at Southern Conference institutions get in free with a valid I.D.
All of the action will be available LIVE through SoConTV. Fans that are unable to attend will have the opportunity to view all of the games by logging on to SoConSports.com and subscribing to SoConTV. From the first pitch to the final out, every moment of the softball action will be available, including exclusive coach and student-athlete interviews and the final awards presentation. An archived version of the event will also be.
2011 Southern Conference Softball Championship - Eagle Field at the Softball Complex - Statesboro, Ga.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Game 1: #8 Furman vs. #9 Western Carolina 10 a.m.
Game 2: #4 College of Charleston vs. #5 Elon 12 p.m.
Game 3: #1 Chattanooga vs. Game 1 Winner 2 p.m.
Game 4: #2 Appalachian State vs. #7 Samford 5 p.m.
Game 5: #3 Georgia Southern vs. #6 UNCG 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Game 6: Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser 10 a.m.
Game 7: Game 4 Loser vs. Game 5 Loser 12 p.m.
Game 8: Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner 3 p.m.
Game 9: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner 5 p.m.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Game 10: Game 8 Loser vs. Game 7 Winner 10 a.m.
Game 11: Game 9 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner 12 p.m.
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner 3 p.m.
Game 13: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
Game 14: Game 12 Loser vs. Game 13 Winner 11 a.m.
Game 15: Game 12 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner 1:30 p.m.
Game 16: Game 15 Winner vs. Game 15 Loser (If necessary) 30 min. after Game 15